How to capture all the awesomeness of the mountains?

Did you get out for a camp trip this summer with your dogs? We’ll there’s still time. Here in the Southwest part of Colorado there are a few more weeks of camping left here, then it’s on to Southern Utah for the rest of the Fall for some great desert camping.

Mick, Romeo and I had a great adventure camping this summer in the high country of the San Juan Mountains out of Silverton, CO. In the Wild West, we have the opportunity to “Free Camp” in many places, meaning you can put your tent or park your rig just about anywhere (there are some rules and regs).  We were lucky to find a flat spot at about 11,000 feet in Velocity Basin, up above Silverton, CO. It was pouring rain as I drove up there, and I was hopeful that it would clear. My little Honda Element felt sluggish the last mile and I wondered why? I pulled in to the perfect camp spot with not another human around for miles. The dogs and I waited patiently for the rain to stop, and it did. I got out and then I see it! The flat tire, oh so flat, like a pancake on the griddle. Yikes, I think, here I am at 11,000 feet, no one around, no AAA to help. Then I relax into it. I’ve got food for days, and I’m in an amazing place. So the dogs and I set up camp, we’ll really, I set up camp and the dogs run around and snoop things out.

Fortunately, my dogs stay close in these situations. If I were in a campground, of course I would tether my dogs because of course they would go a visiting. I keep a close eye on them. My rules for this kind of camping is no rules, just stay close and don’t harass any critters.

So we walked up the rest of the dirt road which dead ends into Velocity Basin. At the end, there was a man with a dirt bike (motorcycle) taking a photo. So I offered to take a photo of him in front of the crazy beautiful mountains. We both commented that it was impossible to get a photo of all the awesomeness around us, just too magnificent. We chatted, his name was Rick, from Texas. I told him about the flat tire and being the nice Texan he was, he offered to come to my camp and get it changed right now. I said, OK! So I trotted down the road and met him at my camp. He changed the tire out in about 15 minutes. It was like having a little angel arrive! (thanks Dad!). He went on his way and the dogs and I did more exploring in the area, had a great dinner and dreamy sleep.

For those of us who like to be in nature there’s something about camping and sleeping outside, it feeds the soul. Maybe camping is not your thing, so getting out to a new place for an adventure is okay too, and don’t forget, take your dog along!